Outstanding Trail Projects and State Program Honored By the Coalition for Recreational Trails

The Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) presented 10 trail projects and a State Trail Program with its 2017 Tom Petri Annual Achievement Awards on June 14 at a special Capitol Hill ceremony in Washington, D.C. as part of the celebration of Great Outdoors Month. The awards – named for former Wisconsin Congressman Tom Petri, a long-time champion of the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP) – recognize outstanding use of RTP funds. RTP funds come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the federal gasoline taxes paid for fuel used for off-highway recreation by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks. Since 1993, the RTP had funded more than 22,000 projects for both motorized and nonmotorized trail use.

The CRT recognized the trail projects for excellence in a number of award categories, including maintenance and rehabilitation, construction and design, public-private partnerships, use of youth conservation/service corps, enhancement of federal lands, and more. The CRT also recognized the State of Arizona for the outstanding use of RTP funds by a state trail program. Click here for a full list of categories and award winners. A number of Members of Congress joined in the presentation of the awards, along with former Delaware Governor and Member of Congress Mike Castle.

Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding work helping people enjoy healthy, active outdoor fun on trails all across the country!